This invention relates to equipment used to administer medical solutions and, more particularly, a solution container having a breakaway cap for providing a convenient means to gain access to the contents of the container.
Solution containers are used in many medical procedures. Many containers have flexible tubing extending therefrom for connection to an administration set or medical device such as an artificial kidney. The flexible tubing typically has a connector such as a luer connector at its distal end which is connected to a mating connector on the administration set or medical device.
Generally, the contents of such containers must remain sterile until it is necessary to administer the solution. Some containers have a tear cap connected to the distal end of the flexible tubing extending from the container to maintain sterility. When it is desirable to gain access to the contents of the container, the cap is torn from the tubing or connector.
Tear caps exhibit the disadvantage of requiring excessive force to remove them. Also, they must be grasped in a particular manner to successfully tear the cap. Additionally, if the cap cannot be torn, there is no convenient alternative method of removing them which may result in disposing of the entire solution container.
A proposed solution is to provide a frangible member within the flexible tubing to provide means of gaining access to a solution container as disclosed in co-pending application Ser. No. 818,357, filed July 25, 1977 and assigned to the assignee of this application and now abandoned.
The breakaway port disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,994,412 has a reduced wall section of a width varying from a minimum to a maximum one. Such a breakaway port exhibits the disadvantage of requiring the user to grasp the port in a particular way to efficiently open it. Also, a preweakened portion of this type is relatively difficult to manufacture.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a solution container having a breakaway cap which can be conveniently opened and is easier to manufacture than those previously used.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.